The Pick Me Up Foundation

Dust Off The Old Instrument And Donate

Posted: November 21, 2014 in Uncategorized
Tags: Aaron Reed, Columbia, Howard County, Instrument Drive, Kings Contrivance Village Center, Maryland, The Pick Me Up Foundation, WBAL

From WBAL News Radio 1090 on November 20th

Anne Kramer

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A Howard County father is keeping his son’s memory alive through music.

Aaron Reed died suddenly back in January while in New York. He was 21.

He loved music. His father Brian says the best way to keep his son’s generous spirit alive was to start the foundation to try and help less fortunate kids have the chance to play musical instruments.

Aaron’s family suffered a double loss the day he died.

After coming back home with his prized instruments, the family’s van was broken into and the instruments stolen. Howard County Police never found the instruments. There have been no arrests.

Brian Reed says all the donated instruments will be reconditioned and given to children who can not afford to rent or buy an instrument.

The instrument drive takes place Saturday November 22nd at Kings Contrivance Village Center in Columbia from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Pick Me Up Foundation is working with Music & Arts which is offering drop-off locations in Ellicott City, Arundel Mills, and Laurel for instruments as well.

The Foundation will continue to collect used instruments throughout the year.

You can read the original article from WBAL here: http://www.wbal.com/article/111024/3/dust-off-the-old-instrument-and-donate

Columbia family collecting instruments to honor son’s memory

Posted: November 20, 2014 in Uncategorized
Tags: Aaron Reed, ABC, ABC2NEWS, Brian Reed, Esther Reed, Julia Reed, The Pick Me Up Foundation

From ABC2News on November 19th

Aaron Reed passed away suddenly in January

Catherine Hawley

COLUMBIA, Md. – They’ve got broken strings, they’re covered in dust, and they’ve been boxed up and unused. Exactly the kinds of instruments Brian Reed wants to get his hands on.”We have a couple amps, a drum, two bases, an acoustic guitar, keyboard,” he said.The Professor at UMBC is collecting the musical equipment for ‘The Pick Me Up Foundation,’ a non-profit Brian created with his wife Esther and daughter Julia. Their goal is to collect instruments and get them in the hands of those less fortunate.”We looked around and saw there are a lot of kids who would like to try music but they can’t because they can’t afford an instrument.”

It’s a project borne from the pain of loss. The Reed’s 21-year-old son Aaron died suddenly back in January. Aaron was a gifted musician who lived to write and play songs .

“He would constantly be lending his instruments out to kids who didn’t have them,” said Brian. “Giving them musical lessons, teaching kids how to record music.”

Read the full article and watch the news broadcast here: http://www.abc2news.com/news/region/howard-county/columbia-family-collecting-instruments-to-honor-sons-memory

Drive to collect musical instruments is a memorial note for family of Aaron Reed

Posted: November 16, 2014 in Uncategorized
Tags: Aaron Davis Reed, Baltimore Sun, Brian and Esther Reed, Hammond High School, Instrument Drive, New World Commotion, The Pick Me Up Foundation, The Runways

From the Baltimore Sun this morning:

By Jim Joyner,The Baltimore Sun

A Columbia family that endured the death of a son early this year is hoping to extend his musical legacy with a drive to collect instruments for those in need.

The Pick Me Up Foundation, an organization created in memory of Aaron Davis Reed, an aspiring musician who died unexpectedly in January at age 21, is hosting a musical instrument drive Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Kings Contrivance Village Center.

Donated instruments will be repaired and cleaned, and then given to children whose families otherwise could not afford them.

Reed was a 2010 Hammond High School graduate. After his death, his family — parents Brian and Esther Reed and his sister, Julia — worked with others to form the Pick Me Up Foundation, an organization named for an alternative rock song that Aaron Reed had been working on with a group in Boston.

The foundation’s website, thepickmeupfoundation.com, notes that the young artist, who was a founding member of Columbia bands The Runways and New World Commotion, “lived and breathed music.”

His father said Aaron played guitar, piano and drums, and spread his love for music to others.

You can read the full article on the Baltimore Sun website here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bs-md-ho-musical-collection-20141116-story.html

Recent Instrument Contributions

Posted: November 15, 2014 in Uncategorized
Tags: Contribution, Instrument Drive, Nottingham's, Tiki Bar

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We want to give a big thank you to Wendi and Chris for their recent instrument donations. The clarinet and a bass guitar (pictured above) are very much appreciated. Just a reminder that we are having an instrument drive on November 22nd, but you can make you donation anytime.

Instrument Drive – November 22nd

Posted: November 7, 2014 in Uncategorized
Tags: Columbia, Instrument Drive, Kings Contrivance Village Center, Maryland

The PMU foundation is holding a musical instrument drive, a pic of the flyer is posted below. Feel free to download it and spread the word.
I am also looking for volunteers to help me post the flyer around Columbia, contact me at reedb@umbc.edu if you want to help.

Feel free to print out the flyer and post yourself if you want.

I will be at Kings Contrivance VC handing out the flyer on Saturday, if you want to help me there or go to another VC let me know.

Remember to tell people that I will pick up the instrument at their house if they want (no pianos …)

Our Goal is 100 instruments, all instruments accepted other than pianos

Partnership with Music is Art

Posted: November 2, 2014 in Uncategorized

The Pick Me Up Foundation is excited to announce our partnership with Music is Art (http://www.musicisart.org). Music is Art was founded in 2003 by Goo Goo Dolls bassist, Robby Takac with the broad mission of exploring and reshaping music’s cultural, social, and educational impact on communities. The Pick Me Up Foundation will be supporting MiA’s specific goals of providing musical instruments, equipment and lessons to under resourced children. For those who had the pleasure of knowing Aaron we can all attest that this is something that was close to his heart. He was always ready to lend an instrument to someone who needed one, teach others how to play and record music, and genuinely cared about people who “were outside looking in”. While we grieve daily about not having Aaron in our physical universe we can rest assured that he is looking down at us with a smile, with his hands in his pockets, whistling a tune and hoping that we are “keeping it breezy”